The Shattered Sky
by Aerwiya
Summary: In days of mysteries, lies, heartbreak, distrust, and dissolving hope, DarkClan struggles to endure. With the legend Sunshade gone, faith must be put in four cats, one being Sunshade’s son—Falconkit. Rated T to be safe. Work still in progress. R&R please!
1. Prologue: Changes of Heart and Tide

CHANGES OF HEART AND TIDE

"Sunshade, I know you miss her, but she's with the Clan of Hidden Paths now," a soft pleading voice spoke into the darkness.

Silence was the only response.

"Please, your kit needs you to take care of him or to find someone who will. DarkClan has lost enough kits and apprentices al-"

"I know!" roared a deep voice, "but could you have a little pity for a deputy with too much weight already on his shoulders as his leader draws closer and closer to the last breath of her last life? And Swanfrost is not someone I'll get over in a hurry." There was a slight pause and the voice added, "I-I think I'm changing my name…"

A noiseless moment passed in shock at Sunshade's outburst. Its grief-struck tone reverberated off the cavern walls. A quietly trickling stream offered its condolences in its splashing voices, but the tom was paying more attention to the cat whose lifeless body it had carried away hours before.

"May you find your hidden path," the tom murmured in a gentler voice, "I'll miss you Swanfrost."

"May you find your hidden path," echoed the she-cat before the pair left the cave that had seen so many scenes like this before.

***

Faintstar stood proudly, yet fragilely upon a boulder on the far side of camp, directly across from the entrance. Two other boulders on either side of it rimmed the edge of the camp. Cats gathered below and formed a semicircle around the leopard spotted cat that faced his leader.

"Sunshade, the passing of your dearly loved Swanfrost has changed your heart and thus your name. You have resigned your days as a glorious warrior and deputy of DarksClan, we thank you for all you have done for the Clan." There was a pause during which the surrounding cats took all of this in. Sunshade was giving up his position as the deputy and as a warrior? Despite the seeming impossibility of this, the light gray she-cat continued with power and authority pouring into her frail voice. "Sunshade, I give you the new name of Ashentears."

The tom merely nodded and, to the surprise of all but Faintstar, he directly padded out of the camp. His face was hidden in shadows so no one saw his look of raw defeat and hopelessness as he tore himself away from the one place he loved but felt unable to stay.

The startled onlookers were speechless. The heart of their clan had departed.

"May you find your hidden path," the elderly she-cat meowed sadly before stepping down off the stone that was pitiless towards the burdens laid heavily on her weakening shoulders.

The Clan took this to be the end of the meeting and after seeing there was little explanation that was going to be offered by their leader, they returned to their dens to speak amongst themselves for the rest of the night. "Rainstorm," the aged voice commanded the attention of a dark gray tabby.

"Yes?" he asked as his clanmates padded away.

"I need to speak to you in my den," she said and turned to the large hole in the rock she had just dismounted.

The entrance to her den was narrow, but widened into a little cave that was large enough to comfortably fit three cats. Her pale gray fur was ruffled as she turned to face Rainstorm while he entered. She was tired, but it was her responsibility to see to her clan's needs while she still could. With a sigh she began. "Rainstorm," the crackly-voiced she-cat meowed, "Sunshade has faded into Ashentears and left DarkClan— for good as far as I can tell. Will you accept the position of deputy in his place?"

"Y-yes," stuttered the tom, he hadn't quite been expecting this, but he was determined to serve his clan well.

"Good," said Faintstar. It was nice to know that the clan would be in capable paws. Rainstorm was young, strong, and confident, but had gained an amount of experience that was impressive considering how much younger he was than her. She broke what would be the hardest news to him so he would realize how critical it was that he listen carefully. "You may as well know my last life is slipping away from me and I must discuss clan matters with you, now."

Rainstorm merely nodded, hiding how hard to accept this all was. The large tom dwarfed the she-cat, but he listened intently. Faintstar's wisdom wasn't something to toss aside.

The leader had already thought through this carefully, "I would suggest that you make Braveoak your deputy after I… leave. He learned much about WildClan in his youth and knows their territory the best, he's a fantastic fighter, and his fierce loyalty will be a strength to the Clan. However, his brother Savageclaw needs an eye kept on him. We don't need anymore 'accidents' with WildClan apprentices. He was always a little odd, much too violent, but maybe there's still hope for him to learn.

"Rosemist has been given charge of Ashentears' kit; he informed me of this himself. She has three other kits of her own so make sure she's properly taken care of and given the help she needs. DarkClan's strength lies in their newest generation and it can't suffer from neglect.

"Nightfall will be heartbroken over Ashentears' departure. He was like a brother to her. Please, comfort her; she'll need it. Silvercrescent, Goldenpetals, Riverfawn, and Brownvole will also feel the loss of the great Sunshade," the leader finished listing off the clan.

"I will do my best," the tom vowed, promising to himself as well as Faintstar. He suppressed a rise of emotion, maintaining composure. Faintstar had been a wonderful leader, mentor, and even friend, but the inevitable was, as always, inevitable.

"Good," Faintstar meowed, "because… I may… pass… tonight."

The den filled with the coughing of a dying cat.


	2. Chapter 1: Four Pairs of Hope

FOUR PAIRS OF HOPE

The soft mewls of kits came from under the roots of a tree near the side of the boulders. The dirt there had been dug out long ago and a sheltered den had been formed. "Falconkit! Get off!" squeaked a dark brown she-kit as she struggled to free herself.

"Not until you say I won," the leopard spotted tom replied, wanting his victory to be final.

"Fine, you won," Darkkit mumbled huffily, she hadn't lost to Falconkit before. He released her from the pin only to have Risingkit and Silentkit leap on him an instant later.

"Quiet down," a pale ginger she-cat meowed gently, breaking up the fight before it got too rough. She didn't need Risingkit and Falconkit trying to claw each other's ears off again.

"But Ma," complained Risingpaw as she started licking the tangled patches of brown tabby fur on her son's pelt, "how are we going to be warriors if you don't let us practice?"

"Oh, you'll get plenty of time to practice once you're all apprentices," she promised with a purr, "maybe more than you want." Amusement at her kits' eagerness to become warriors glinted in her eyes.

"I don't think that's even possible," countered Falconkit. He was a week older than the rest of the kits and that extra week of waiting was making him increasingly impatient. He wanted to learn to hunt and track and take care of his clan and fight! Like many before him, he had an eagerness for training and learning. After all, DarkClan hadn't had an apprentice for nearly two seasons since that clash with WildClan had cost both sides a little more than they wanted to pay.

"Rosemist?" a voice came from the entrance of the nursery.

The she-cat's expression went from amusement to delight, "Braveoak," she purred, "come in."

The brown tabby entered and gave Rosemist a quick lick between the ears. "How are you doing?" he asked with concern; he hoped smaller portions of food this passing leaf-bare weren't having any negative effects.

"Just fine," she replied happily, brushing her cheek against his.

He purred. "Our kits are lovely," he breathed.

The kits, as if on cue, went up to greet their father with warm nuzzles, except one. A pale ginger kit looking much like his mother had shied away to the corner of the den. "Silentkit," said Rosemist, beckoning with her tail for the kit to come. He walked over and buried his head in her fur, not speaking. His mother gave him a few comforting licks; she hoped he'd get over his quietness.

"Well, I just thought I'd check in on you and the kits. I'm leading the sunhigh hunting patrol so I'd better be going." He bid her an affectionate farewell before stepping out into the overcast day. Nightfall and Brownvole were waiting by the bramble lined entrance; he went to join them. He swept his gaze across the secure circle of boulders, trees, and brambles knitted in between them to block all the gaps. Being satisfied, he led the way out into the gloomy day to once again comb the forest for prey.

***

The Clan managed well for itself during the next quarter moon; smaller numbers meant less mouths to feed, though it did limit the number of paws pitching in to help. However, as the day arrived, the Clan was ready to warmly welcome four new apprentices into service. Though one was a little older, it was simpler to get it all sorted out at once. And so the ceremony began.

A dark gray tom placed his paws where the former leader of DarkClan once had and let out a yowl to call everyone to the center clearing. Once sure everyone was present, he began. "We have four cats of age to become apprentices," Rainstar meowed. Falconkit, Risingkit, Darkkit, and Silentkit stood slightly infront of the rest of the group, their pelts gleaming from a thorough washing. "Falconkit, come forward," commanded Rainstar. Falconkit did as he was bid and stood looking up at Rainstar with expectant eyes, glowing with anticipation. "Do you promise to train your hardest, obey your mentor, and do your best to serve the Clan as an apprentice of DarkClan?"

The question need hardly have been asked and the answer rang true in one syllable, "Yes."

"Then I give you the new name Falconpaw."

"Savageclaws," Rainstar addressed the huge gray tabby who then padded up to Falconpaw, "you have been chosen to mentor Falconpaw. Will you do so with honor and patience?"

"Yes."

"I declare you, Falconpaw, an official apprentice of DarkClan," a cheer went up from the cats, but died down once the next cat was called up. Braveoak then became Risingpaw's mentor; the resemblance between father and son was blatantly obvious between the promising pair of mentor and apprentice. Darkkit's mentor was Riverfawn; both looked excited and energetic. Silentkit was assigned to Brownvole who looked a little nervous about having his first apprentice, but pleased nonetheless.

The mentors and apprentices touched noses; each looked forward to the next day of training. The watching Clan looked forward to having apprentices again. Rainstar looked down at the four pairs of cats and looked at the Clan's hope and future.


	3. Chapter 2: Acrimony Across Ambits

ACRIMONY ACROSS AMBITS

"What's one thing to keep in mind when hunting?" demanded Savageclaws.

"To stay downwind from your prey so your scent doesn't give you away," was the leopard spotted tom's response.

"Good," the gray tom meowed, "now, let's see how your mouse stalking crouch is."

Falconpaw went into a decent crouch and slowly drew himself forward step by step, stalking an imaginary mouse. "You've been practicing," Savageclaw commented, "good, because you're going to need to keep doing that in order to get it perfect." He launched another question at his apprentice, "When can you eat?"

"After the rest of the Clan has been taken care of," was the automatic response.

"Good. What do you need to remember when trying to catch fish?"

"The water makes them look like they're in a slightly different place than they really are so you need to aim differently."

"Good. Where is our border with WildClan."

"It's along the stream running between our territories."

"Good. You seem to have learned everything pretty well. How about we put that knowledge to some use?" Savageclaws asked, giving little compliment to how well his apprentice had answered the questions he'd thrown at him all morning long, especially for just his first half moon of training. He brushed the accomplishment aside and went to the next task. Falconpaw would've liked a little acknowledgement of his progress, but it didn't bother him too much. _Besides_, he thought, _Savageclaws says I'm going to finally get to do something_. The apprentice had become a little sick of his mentor just drilling information and basic techniques into his head. He was ready for some action. "You will be at the camp entrance before sundown for a dusk patrol." Falconpaw's eyes gleamed. _Finally!_

Dusk couldn't come fast enough. He spent what seemed like ages helping Goldenpetals sort all her herbs and remedies in her little burrow dug under one of the boulders, across from the warriors den which was an abandoned badger set. His nose had been overwhelmed by the scents of juniper, lavender, and the less savory scent of mouse bile by the time he was supposed to report to the entrance. He escaped most willingly.

Savageclaws, Silvercrescent, and Risingpaw waited there. "About time," Savageclaws growled and strode out of camp without another word. Silvercrescent rolled her eyes at the grouchy tom and followed after.

"Isn't this exciting?" Risingpaw asked, "We finally get to really go on a patrol."

"Yeah," Falconpaw agreed, nodding his spotted head as the pair exited the clearing together, "I don't think anything too big normally happens on patrols though."

"You're probably right," admitted the brown apprentice, but his ears perked as he added, "But wouldn't it be great if something did?"

The pair rattled on for a while and was about to enact an epic battle until Savageclaws told them to hush up because every cat from there to the hills of Wildclan could hear them. That got them quiet. They went directly westward from camp towards the dividing stream. Its splashes soon sang out to them through the brown leafed trees. Falconpaw and Risingpaw raced towards the stream but an angry snarl from Savageclaws slowed them and a replying one from the other side of the water halted them in their tracks.

They found themselves gazing across the shallow water into the angry eyes of a gorgeous, but frightening tortoiseshell. Savageclaws was soon infront of them, his unsheathed claws being splashed by the edges of the stream. The cat across stood in a similar way. Falconpaw's stomach dropped to his toes at the sight. _WildClan_, he thought as her sharp, distinct scent reached him. Two other cats flanked the first, a big black and white tom and a bright orange she-cat. They glared challengingly.

"Need something Morningstar?" growled Savageclaws growled hostilely, his eyes shifting from cat to cat.

"We did come for a border patrol," came the icy response. Something glimmered menacingly in her eyes as she added, "But maybe we'll take compensation for that 'accident' you had with our apprentices back in new-leaf. You may have noticed we're a little short on them now."

"Come and take it," snarled Savageclaws, his hackles raised.

Before either cat could move, Silvercrescent pushed the aggressive tom back to get in-between the two cats without getting her paws wet. "We have no need to fi-"

"What's going on?" a demanding meow interrupted from behind. Braveoak and Riverfawn approached, smelling of freshly caught prey-- a hunting patrol. They strode forward to stare at the three WildClan cats that were now plainly aware they were outnumbered. The deputy dipped his head in a respectful greeting to the leader who was looking at him furiously.

"_They're _here," Savageclaws hissed.

Braveoak looked carefully at the cats opposite him, at the stream, and then at the DarkClan cats. "Well, no borders have been crossed so I don't believe we have any quarrel," he said pointedly to Morningstar.

"Indeed," she spat. She had little choice but to agree considering the way the numbers had worked out. Without a second disgusted glance, she flicked her tail in signal and padded away softly through the small cluster of nearly bare trees and over the distant hills.

"Well," meowed Riverfawn cheerfully, "that was a pleasant little chat."

Braveoak's whiskers twitched in amusement, but there was a concerned look on his face, "We're going to have to tell Rainstar about this." He had heard Morningstar's threat before he'd interrupted the scene and it concerned him. DarkClan really couldn't afford to lose any of its new apprentices.

The group made its way through the forest of trees that would soon make leaf-bare official. One withered looking leaf floated down and the two apprentices swatted at it; Risingpaw got it, but Falconpaw swiped it away just as fast. The pair scuffled around a bit before they all made it to camp; Savageclaws was in no mood to try to stop their playful fighting. He was seething the whole way back. Obviously _he_ thought getting a clawful or two of WildClan fur wouldn't have been a bad thing.

The dusk patrol dispersed and the hunting patrol dropped off their catch before going to spread the news of what had just happened.

Braveoak approached his leader who was leaving the medicine cat's den after speaking with Goldenpetals. His expression was worried and distracted as Braveoak padded towards him. "Rainstar, we ran into a WildClan patrol during our own patrols," he informed him.

"Well, they have a right to have patrols too," he replied, still a little distracted.

"Morningstar made a threat about 'collecting compensation' for Savageclaws' mishap last new-leaf."

Falconpaw was curious what was passing between the leader and deputy so instead of going with Risingpaw to tell his adopted littermates about what happened, he pretended to be inspecting one of the bramble walls for a moment and heard the leader take a sharp intake of breath and give a decisive meow. A thrill of excitement ran through Falconpaw from the tip of his nose to his tail at his words.

"We must teach them to fight."


	4. Chapter 3: Aspirations and Imaginings

ASPIRATIONS AND IMAGININGS

"When they said we- were- gonna- train to fight,-I didn't- think they meant- this," Risingpaw panted as he and Falconpaw ran around the large pond north of the camp. This was the third time they'd had to sprint around the lake, wishing each time that it was only a small pond. With sore paws that sank slightly in the cold, damp ground, they finished their lap and attempted to catch their breath; these attempts were of course futile because Savageclaws was training them today. They wouldn't get any breaks until the training session was over.

Darkkit and Silentkit joined them a moment later with similar gasps for air. Their sides heaved as the large gray tabby waiting for them instantly launched into their next task— reviewing five basic fighting moves. "We're not moving on until you perfect the upper and lower strikes and blocks and show some decent variations of the fake pounce then strike attack I showed you. Pair off and practice," he instructed. These were just a few strategies of attack and simple blocks so Falconpaw's allowed mind roam as he and Risingpaw sparred lightly with each other.

Nobody had told the apprentices that the encounter with WildClan was the reason for all this new emphasis on fighting, but Falconpaw had put two and two together and informed Risingpaw of his suspicions. Thought the brown pelted apprentice had been skeptical at first, he'd thought about it a moment, then meowed, "they must think there's real danger for us then." They felt more than a little unnerved at that thought.

Falconpaw must've heard of Savageclaw's 'accident' with the WildClan apprentices over a dozen times now, but he was still muddled as to what had exactly happened and no one would explain it. It was a topic that seemed almost forbidden to the youngest generation of DarkClan. As curious as the foursome of apprentices was, no one would enlighten them on the subject. All they knew on the subject was that two WildClan apprentices had died. The how and why were still mysteries. And there the secret sat, nagging and pestering him at the back of his mind.

"Ugh," grunted the leopard spotted apprentice as he was struck by one of his brother's blows.

"Look sharp," Riverfawn meowed to him as he padded into the small clearing and joined Savageclaws. The two toms conversed quietly near one of the large rocks scattered over this section of DarkClan territory as the apprentices continued to practice. Falconpaw felt his pelt prickle with a slight warmth in embarrassment at his blunder; it had been an easy block too.

He tried to make up for his slip of attention by focusing intently on the next few swipes he threw at Risingpaw, one of which caught him squarely in the jaw. The fiercer swing took the apprentice by surprise, but he was determined to retaliate. However, the commencement of another typical, spirited tussle between the pair was interrupted by Savegeclaws' irritated growl. "Listen up." A few more clouts were flung and the apprentices gradually stilled.

"Riverfawn has informed me that greencough has made its first appearance this leaf-bare." Savageclaws paused and there were murmurs at this news. The apprentices had heard enough terrible stories about this illness that Silentpaw had, as a kit, had many an accident in the nursery while frightened from a nightmare of it. The apprentices waited with baited breath. Who had been touched by the gaze of that plaguing sickness? The large gray striped tom continued. "The cat sick with it has taken up residence of the hollowed oak, so it would be wise to avoid being in that area." A sadness seemed to pass over his face, but he carefully composed himself, "You may return to training."

There was a stunned silence as the four cats took in this information and tried to understand the situation.

"Savageclaws?" a soft, timid voice quavered.

"Hmm?"

"Who… who caught greencough?" asked Silentkit.

"Nightfall."

And training continued, but with a somber, desperate atmosphere as DarkClan's situation seemed to grow bleaker by the minute.

***

Even with the unpleasantly cold wind running through the DarkClan territory, a slight sheen of sweat prickled Falconpaw's spotted pelt by the time he was back in camp. His usually bright eyes were dulled by exhaustion, the result of a day of hard, strenuous training. It was all he could manage to place one paw in front of the other and force himself to the apprentice den rather than curl up in a worn out ball of fur in the middle of the camp clearing. With a groan, he crawled into the apprentice den and, after finding a vacant space, he gave into the weariness that he'd been dragging around all day by a frazzled mouse tail. Sleep, however, was not destined to give him relief.

From the moment unconsciousness took him to the moment he opened his groggy eyes, his mind was filled with confused and buzzing images.

Droplets splashed, spluttered, and spun around him. Paws sinking, drawn downwards. Unable to move, breathe, think. Only that feeling, that feeling of helpless loss as spattering currents flowed over his head, obscuring hope. The mangled fragments all knit together into a suppressing cover of terror. All the while he felt the dark green gaze, intense and intent, focused on him, trying to tell him something. Something he had to hear, but the wavering liquid light above him and the burning in his lungs deafened him to their message.

"Falconpaw," a protesting meow broke him of his disjointed dream. Darkpaw lay propped up on her paws looking down at him. Her dark brown pelt was bristling slightly with annoyance, "Can you be any louder?"

"Sorry," the leopard-spotted tom mumbled sleepily, hoping his indistinct muttering concealed the fact that his voice was shaking.

She lowered herself down to her mossy bedding again with a grunt that was intended as an acceptance of apology. Not a wink would be lost by Darkpaw because of a nighttime disturbance. It was not so for Falconpaw though.

Quite some time passed before his heart stopped hammering and even after that he still felt an undercurrent of agitation pumping through his veins. He let out a breath of frustration, he was much too restless to follow Darkpaw's example. Silently, he stepped over the deeply breathing figures of the other apprentices and slipped out of the den. Even though he was sensible enough to remain unspotted by the tom keeping watch over camp that night, his attempts to avoid an awkward conversation were hardly needed; Savageclaws already had Brownvole occupied. A walk through the comfortingly familiar forest would help the flustered apprentice compose himself. He was about to slip between two of the boulders lining the camp when he caught a phrase passing between the two brothers near the camp entrance; suddenly his fervent interest was wound up in the toms' conversation.

"They're not learning fast enough."

"You do realize it's your own fault they need this much training this early on," Brownvole pointed out to his gray tabby brother.

Savageclaws was on the verge of saying something, till he seemed to think better.

"Besides," the brown tabby continued, "the lot of them are picking up well on everything, maybe better than we did as apprentices. Especially Falconpaw. I've heard Riverfawn say he can do quite well if he's got a mind to do so."

The gray tom grunted. "He's not consistent though and he'll never be as good as Sunshade if he doesn't pick up the pace." A shiver of excitement went down Falconpaw's spine as he heard mention of his father, but it was accompanied by a sinking feeling in his stomach. From the little he'd heard spoken to him about his father he knew he had large pawsteps to fill, but the idea that maybe he'd never measure up to him— the idea that he'd be stuck in the shadow of the great Sunshade whom he couldn't even remember… The apprentice struck those thoughts out of his mind with mentally sharpened claws. No. He would honor the memory of his mysteriously absent father by striving to emulate him and _he would succeed_. With these thoughts lending him new determination and wiping all memory of his nightmare, he moved quietly back into the apprentice den. Dawn was not distant and the sun was ready to rise. Only one question remained— would clouds mask the sunlight?


	5. Chapter 4: Continuing Currents

CONTINUING CURRENTS

A dark brown pelt slid silently between two ferns, startlingly blue eyes intent on the mouse directly ahead. In one swift movement Darkpaw shot forward and finished off the small rodent as her teeth came in contact with its neck. The satisfactory _snap_ informed her that she had succeeded.

"Nice!" Falconpaw remarked as he padded up to join the she-cat.

"Thanks," she said with a purr, all irritation from the previous night gone. After all, it was sunny for the first time since leaf-bare had begun and the sunlight had coaxed a good day of hunting out of the leafless forest. "I think we've caught enough this morning," she pointed out, "we can probably take our catch back to camp."

"Oka—," the spotted tom cut off as he heard a nearby rusting in the undergrowth, "one second," he whispered under his breath. The scent of squirrel in the air alerted the tom what his target was. Slowly he crept forward, hoping to make an impressive kill. A bushy tail darted in the direction of the tree to his left. Perfect. Falconpaw launched himself at the squirrel, claws ready to be filled. However, he had failed to notice the thin bramble looped in front of him. Consequently, he was much embarrassed when his foot was ensnared by the dead blackberry vine and his attempt to catch the squirrel failed most spectacularly.

Darkpaw stifled a snort and her whiskers quivered in catlike laughter. You ready to go _now_?" she asked, blue eyes dancing with amusement.

Falconpaw remained silent a moment before letting out a breath and shaking his head as he laughed at his 'impressive kill'. "Yes," he meowed, "quite ready."

The two collected their plunder from the forest floor and made their way home where their return was cheerfully greeted. "Good work," meowed Rainstar. The fierce black tabby marking on his gray face seemed to soften momentarily. "DarkClan has needed your strengths and you are doing your duties well. Now, what _you_ need is food. All the hunting patrols today have been successful and everyone has been taken care of. Go ahead and eat."

Darkpaw and Falconpaw glowed at the praise they'd received, the first given to them by the clan leader. Falconpaw was also relieved, his stomach had kept up quite a conversation on the trip back and it was nice to know he wouldn't have to go around making sure everyone else had a chance to stuff their faces before he was allowed to even smell it. Both apprentices picked out a piece of prey and walked over to the fern near their den where the young cats had grown accustomed to eating. "Darkpaw," Riverfawn called from across the clearing.

The dark brown she-cat put down the squirrel she'd teasingly picked out and gave Falconpaw an I-wish-I-could-stay-and-eat look before shuffling off with one last mournful glance at her meal that would have to wait.

Savageclaws came up to the leopard spotted tom moments after he had tucked into his fresh-kill. Falconpaw struggled to wipe his mouth clean and sit up; he felt looking sloppy wouldn't help his attempts at winning the respect of his mentor. "Did you see the catch Darkpaw and I came back with?" he asked, one of the few times he'd appealed for recognition of his progress.

The gray tabby gave a grunt of unwilling acknowledgement before he spoke what he'd come to say. "There will be a gathering tomorrow. Rainstar will only be bringing two apprentices," the tom meowed.

"Who?" asked Falconpaw, hopeful curiosity in his voice.

"We haven't decided yet, but it will be those who have been showing the most improvement and concentration on their training these past few days. We don't want anyone struggling with their training to leave and fall behind by taking a day off for the gathering."

If gatherings were an important way for a cat to become acquainted with the other Clan's cats and their ways, which was obviously essential to a warrior, why would they keep half the apprentices at camp? Falconpaw had a nagging suspicion that Rainstar wanted the apprentices to have a close eye kept on them. Sure, WildClan had made a threat, but this couldn't have been the first time they'd done that. They were _rival_ clans for a reason. Anyways, nothing too terrible could've happened before because of a threat or he would've heard about it… wouldn't he?

Rather than voice these opinions, Falconpaw nodded and, upon Savageclaws' departure, got on with his meal. However, he paid little attention to what he ate; his mind was now absorbed with what fantasticalities would happen at the gathering.

It was something he couldn't miss.

His thoughts were interrupted as a ginger tom approached him. "Hey Silentpaw," he meowed through his last mouthful.

Silentpaw nodded in return and dropped the small rabbit he was carrying. Falconpaw was at a loss at how he'd managed to find one of those in the forest, but it looked good nonetheless. Immediately the orange apprentice began feasting.

"So, did you hear about the gathering?" Falconpaw asked.

Silentpaw looked up for a moment and nodded as he chewed.

"Who do you think will get to go?"

The tom swallowed and looked thoughtful for a moment before replying. "Probably you and Risingpaw. Darkpaw and I are above average as far as we can tell, but you guys are… louder about your talent." He continued eating.

Falconpaw thought about that for a moment as he stretched out to bask in the blissful sunshine. His light brown pelt was dappled with little rosettes. The smatterings of black, delicately smudged with a dark brown, gave him a slightly outlandish, but not unattractive look. His basking in the enthralling warmth was interrupted by Goldenpetals' meow.

Was it impossible to try and eat or relax without interruptions? Though Falconpaw supposed it _was_ the job of an apprentice to be ready to provide a help wherever and extra paw was needed, he decided he needed some alone time.

"Falconpaw, since you seem to be unoccupied, I'd appreciate it if you picked some catmint for me. My stores are running low and Nightfall…" she trained off.

"Of course," he meowed respectfully to the elderly she-cat after sitting up, "where can I find some?"

"There should be a patch of it by the Cave of Echoes. Bring back as much as you can. If this sickness spreads, DarkClan will have more to worry about than losing a few… cats because of WildClan."

"I will," the apprentice promised, fear of an unfavorable fate for DarkClan sprouted in his heart. He turned to go.

"Oh, and be careful," the light gold she-cat meowed softly before padding away.

As the tom padded out of the camp, he couldn't help but wonder what myriad of knowledge lay behind the gold-flecked eyes of the DarkClan medicine cat. With her quiet voice and regal air, she always seemed to know more then she told. Falconpaw shook these thoughts out of his mind and focused on the task at paw. Catmint.

He headed southwest through the trees that were dreaming of spring during this moment of sunlight before winter returned again in its full force. Their skeletal branches made patterns of shadow and light across the brown, leaf littered ground. He'd been to the cave only once before when Savageclaws had given him a tour of the territory. Suddenly, the sunlight faded. A menacing cluster of clouds had obscured the sun and the forest gained a haunted ambiance.

Soon he could hear the sounds of the stream that ran into and out of the cave. His fur prickled uncomfortably as he thought of how many corpses had been carried off beyond the borders of either clan as had become tradition. Could their sprits be watching him even _now?_

The feeling of eyes on his back made Falconpaw's hackles rise defensively. He looked around, but the surrounding forest was empty. There was silence as one last withered, tired leaf drifted to the ground with a defeated sigh. The apprentice began to realize how ridiculous this was. There was nothing to be afrai—

But these thought were cut of by a threatening yowl resonating through the forest as sharp claws landed on Falconpaw's back, knocking him to the ground.


	6. Chapter 5: Living Pasts and Hidden Paths

LIVING PASTS AND HIDDEN PATHS

A thrill of cold shock rippled down the young apprentice's spine as his attacker tried to wrestle him to the ground. Flaconpaw fought with every mousetail of strength he could muster on the spot. Surprisingly, it didn't take much to slip out of the cat's grip. A snarl rose in his throat as he whirled and—

"Risingpaw?" exclaimed the tom.

His clanmate now sat in front of him, a pleased and mischievous glint shining in his eyes. "Yes?" asked the tom with exaggerated innocence.

"You just scared me halfway to the Clan of Hidden Paths! What was that for, you mouse brained—"

"Relax," the brown tabby interrupted, "I came to tell you the news about the gathering. Rainstar finally decided who'd get to go."

"And?" prompted Falconpaw, curiosity now more potent than irritation.

"You and Silentpaw are going," Risingpaw responded in a somewhat grudging tone.

The leopard spotted tom felt a slight smugness rise at having been picked before Risingpaw, but it was crushed by the strong bond of camaraderie there was between the apprentices.

"You'll get to go next time," Falconpaw pointed out.

This seemed to placate the other apprentice as he continued, "Goldenpetals also had second thoughts about sending you out towards the border alone so I'm gonna help with getting the herbs. Plus, we can carry back more catmint this way."

Falconpaw was also relieved to have some company in the gloomy surroundings. The two padded on towards the large bulge of dark rock, scanning the ground for any signs of the herb. Risingpaw soon found some, recognizing it from what he'd seen of it in the medicine cat's supplies. Without a word they tore off what few leaves the winter wind had been kind enough to spare and moved to another patch and repeated the process.

Once they'd gathered what they could, they headed back with mouths filled with the savory leaves, minds turning to worries about the cat the herbs were needed for. They soon found out she needed them more than any would've guessed.

***

"Goldenpetals?" called Falconpaw into the camp, his voice muffled by his mouthful of leaves.

One of the few cats in the camp clearing, Riverfawn, informed the apprentices that Goldenpetals was up seeing to her patient at the hollow tree and suggested they take the herbs to her at once. There was a sense of urgency flashing in his eyes that replaced the light, carefree air the tom usually trailed around with him. The apprentices hurried.

The pair passed the lake on their way. A glance at the depths of the lake lit a spark of discomfort in Falconpaw's gut. He ignored the unexpected feeling and raced on.

When they arrived, they came upon Rainstar speaking quietly with Goldenpetals; Silvercrescent and Brownvole sat a distance off. Risingpaw and Falconpaw dropped the leaves near Goldenpetals and began to pad away.

"One moment Falconpaw," called Goldenpetals.

Falconpaw stopped, turned back to the aged medicine cat, and waited while she exchanged a few more quiet words with Rainstar. Rainstar gave a definitive nod of the head to the light gold she-cat and padded away, weariness etched in every step. Silvercrescent joined the leader, her tail brushing his side soothingly. Goldenpetals motioned with her tail for the apprentice to follow her as she made her way to the entrance of the hollow tree.

"Nightfall is _very _ill. In fact we—" Goldenpetals broke off. Falconpaw had never seen the cool, collected she-cat lose her composure. He stood awkwardly for a moment. She hurriedly continued, "She has some things she feels compelled to tell you." Falconpaw took a step towards the entrance. "Oh wait!" she meowed and pushed some strange looking leaves towards the tom. "These will decrease the risk of you catching the sickness. You'll want to wait a few moments for them to start working before you go in." Goldenpetals voice broke on the last whispered words; she nodded and left Falconpaw to follow her directions, which he promptly did.

The taste of the bitter leaves was fading as he walked into the dark hollow.

"Falconpaw?" Nightfall's familiar voice came as his eyes adjusted to the blank darkness of the cavity of the tree.

"I'm here," Falconpaw replied.

"So you are…" the black she-cat trailed off.

A few heartbeats of silence stretched out. Falconpaw cleared his throat.

"Ah, yes," Nightfall meowed, her gaze focusing on the apprentice in the dim lighting, "I was just—"

A coughing fit erupted from the she-cat. The sickness seemed to have aged her seasons. Silence fell again and, as it lengthened, Falconpaw thought maybe he should get Goldenpetals.

"Your father," Nightfall began, immediately catching the tom's utmost attention. The she-cat noticed this, "Oh right, you haven't been told much about him… Well, it _is_ a pity the Clan is too consumed by the pain and loss surrounding that subject; I feel I personally must tell you everything or it will go unsaid and you'll—" another caughing spell interrupted here, "Never know a thing about your past, or the Clan really for that matter." With this explanation and introduction, Nightfall launched into the tale.

"Sunshade—I refuse to call him Ashentears, was brought to the Clan as a kit, not much older than I myself was. I too had made my way into the safety of the Clan by ways known only to the Clan of Hidden Paths. Though Faintstar accepted us into the Clan, we remained social outcasts as apprentices." Nightfall gave a weak laugh. "Well, he and I got along splendidly in our own separate little twosome and we fought our way through the apprentice seasons. Season passed after season and soon enough Sunshade found himself the best warrior in the Clan. His natural talent that had budded as an apprentice developed into… it was almost frightening." Nightfall was panting from the effort of telling the story and had to catch her breathe.

Falconpaw took a moment to absorb this. He'd known his father had been a good warrior, but Nightfall's description surpassed any of his guesses. He concluded that Nightfall was exaggerating his father's merits.

Reading the expression on his face, Nightfall quietly meowed, "It's true. Ask any cat who knew him. His ability to hunt, track, lead, teach, be a frien—" the she-cat's voice broke, but she continued, "And how he could _fight_, my Hidden Path, he was like a… like one of the great cats of old. That's what he looked like too, a leopard. You inherited that from him," she said, eyeing Flaconpaw's pelt.

"He fell in love with one of the sweetest, strongest she-cat's I have ever known; Swanfrost. She grew to love him too. Oh, they were plunged into such a dreary state when their son died. My heart broke just watching it. And when—"

"I had a brother?" interrupted Falconpaw.

Nightfall was irked to be interrupted in her reminisce. "Yes," she answered curtly, "Leopardpaw." She continued on. "And then seasons later when Savageclaws killed those apprentices from WildClan and when Swanfrost died only days later… he snapped. He broke. The position of deputy was smothering him, he didn't feel he could carry on, he seemed distracted, anxious, and on the edge. Rightly so, I can imagine. So he left. He took with him any hope DarkClan had managed to kindle.

"Falconpaw," she said looking straight into the green eyes of the apprentice, "DarkClan is dying. I know Rainstar, Goldenpetals, and Braveoak want this to be kept secret from the apprentices, but how can you do a thing about what you're blind to?! It's not like they could've kept you in the dark much longer though. Our numbers have been decreasing and WildClan's hostility only grows. You—" more harsh coughs choked Nightfall's words.

The apprentice glanced around the den and spotted a leaf with a coating of honey and smattering poppy seeds. He offered it to her. As soon as she could catch breath, she swallowed the soothing mixture. Falconpaw watched her anxiously a moment before deciding it would be best if he left so she could get her rest. He was almost out when the she-cat shared a few more words.

"Maybe you wonder why I told you this," she reflected quietly, half to herself, "I just didn't want you to go about, not knowing what has happened… what is happening… I didn't want you to lose… your past like I… lost… mine." The large amount of poppy seeds had evidently taken its toll. Nightfall fell into a slumber. Falconpaw sent a prayer to the Clan of Hidden paths, hoping DarkClan would not slowly dim into its own slumbering night.


	7. Chapter 6: Preparations

PREPARATIONS

Falconpaw stood in utter darkness. He felt cold waves swirling around his paws, inching their way up his legs. A petrifying fear kept him rooted to the spot as the iciness enveloped him. His own short, ragged breaths echoed in his ears; they were the only sound in the indifferent silence. Again, the green eyes— staring, staring, staring. What were they saying? Falconpaw tried to speak, but his mouth was flooded with the raw cold. He tried to yowl in pain, but his lungs ignited with the freezing fire. The black water churned and the green eyes seemed to scream to the young apprentice and—

"Get up," a gruff voice rumbled.

Falconpaw's eyes snapped open, his breathing was very fast and shallow. He found himself looking into the blue-green eyes of his mentor and stuttered, "Yes Savageclaws," as he hastily tried to calm himself.

"We've got to get an early start for the gathering," meowed the gray tom.

"But we don't have to be there till sunhigh," the apprentice protested. Thoughts of Nightfall's words had kept him up most of the night and the nightmare had occupied the rest. Falconpaw was exhausted.

"Yes, but Rainstar needs to speak to the cats going to the gathering to make certain things clear. He wants the apprentices familiarized with some other specifics also."

"Okay," Falconpaw meowed as he heaved himself to his feet. Prickles of excitement began to arouse his groggy mind as he stepped out of the den behind his mentor. _It was finally the day of the gathering!_

After pausing to lick some disorderly patches of fur, Falconpaw padded over to where several cats were sitting in the predawn light. _It is _much_ too early,_the leopard spotted tom thought as he settled himself beside Silentpaw with a nod of greeting. The ginger tom nodded back before turning his attention to the gray tom standing above the congregation of cats.

Rainstar looked rather worn and tired, but still stood proudly above his den. The fierce, determined look in his eyes was contagious and Falconpaw resolved to hide his fatigue. No way was WildClan going to think that DarkClan's apprentices were weak!

"My dear friends," Rainstar began in a strong voice, "I hardly need to point out why we have been aroused so early today. As you know, today is the appointed day for our gathering with WildClan. The moon will shine her full face down at us tonight and will see both clans joined together to learn from and of, negotiate with, and to show WildClan how DarkClan thrives!" A chorus of yowls agreed with the leader's words. The enthused voices died down as the leader continued, "Now, my friends, let us watch the dawn break and feel the strength of DarkClan."

Falconpaw gave a curious look at Silentpaw. Why were they watching the sun rise? Silentpaw merely shrugged and turned towards the east side of camp; Falconpaw followed suite.

The sky was a dark blue, but was slowly paling along the horizon. The spotted apprentice stole a few glances as his clanmates. Their faces were turned towards the growing light, chins tilted upwards. Falconpaw imitated this, still wondering what the purpose was. He watched as the seamless sky was slowly stained a light pink that blushed into a vibrant crimson tinged with orange along the edges. It was truly a spectacle; he heard Rosemist catch her breath as the first of the golden rays spilled over the treetops, splashing the skeletal trees with warm light. "DarkClan!" Braveoak yelled. The other cats in the clearing echoed him with excited meows. Their clan was strong!

Rainstar let out a content sigh as the sun continued its climb. "Hunting patrols must be on their way shortly if we're to be ready to leave before sunhigh," the tom ordered, "Falconpaw and Silentpaw, Savageclaws will brief you on what you need to know." With that, the tom slipped off the boulder and joined his mate, Silvercrescent, who was sitting off to the side of the group.

The pair of apprentices hurried over to where Savageclaws was kneading his claws in and out of the soil in anticipation. "So," he said, "you're about to go off to your first gathering." This was the most cheerful and animated Falconpaw had ever seen his mentor. He listened carefully as the process of the gathering was explained, not missing a single detail.

"But you must remember," warned Savageclwas, "don't say anything about the clan that you would regret telling them if they were to, say, attack us." He finished his caution dryly.

"Why _do _we have so many problems with WildClan?" Silentpaw muttered to Falconpaw. Surely that had to be a reason behind the mounting conflict between the clans.

Falconpaw opened his mouth to reply to his ginger pelted friend, but Savageclaws beat him to it. "Well, we put a lot of emphasis on the names of the cats reflecting who they really are. WildClan seems to think that we spend too much time on what they deem a trivial matter. Trivial is it? Names are the imprints of your identity."

Savageclaws seemed almost jittery as he quickly explained everything to his apprentices, "However, we mainly have so many problems with that pile of fox dung they call a clan because they are heedless to the Clan of Hidden Paths and aimlessly wander around in circles and never bother to try and figure out what they are _supposed _to be doing down here. Sure they say 'the heart's first instinct is the truest and best to follow' but that just makes them impulsive and careless," the slight hint of anger that had beegan sparking in his eyes died down as he added, "ask Goldenpetals more about it all later. She knows more about it than I do."

In his mind's eye Falconpaw imagined the striking tortoiseshell she-cat they'd run into at the border. Yes, he could see her being a rash and somewhat reckless individual. If that was the leader, what must the other cats be like?

"Oh, okay," meowed Silentpaw. He seemed to hesitate a moment and then asked another question. "Why did we watch the sunrise today?"

A distant look came into Savageclaws' eyes. "Many, many, _many _winters ago, the leader of DarkClan was Dawnstar. I wasn't around then, but her legacy has carried on. During her time, DarkClan and WildClan were on better terms. In fact, many of the cats were even bordering on friendly relationships with cats of the other clan. The leader before her had initiated the tradition of gatherings starting at sunhigh as opposed to moonrise so that the clans would be able to learn more about each other. Near-friendships sprung from there.

"Dawnstar was fine with these easygoing relationships, but she wanted to make sure DarkClan retained its sense of pride and strength so, every morning before a gathering, she would give an invigorating speech to the cats going. It worked miracles. A new sense of satisfaction and delight at being part of DarkClan surged through the clan.

Savageclaws sighed, obviously wanting to finish up what had turned into a storytelling session, "After she died, the leader after her carried on the tradition and had the clan watch the dawn in memory of Dawnstar. That is why we wake up so early for gatherings."

"Okay," Silentpaw said, nodding his head. He'd received a little more in depth background information that he'd really wanted, but it was interesting nonetheless.

"Anyways," the gray tom meowed, getting back to what he had originally planned to tell the apprentices, "just remember not to get too friendly with those kits of a fox. Don't get the boundaries confused." An expression passed over his face, but it dissolved an instant later as he added, "The warriors will hunt for food to bring with us so you two don't have too much to do now. Feel free to take a bit of a nap before we really start preparing to go."

The gray warrior dismissed them with a flick of his tail and padded away. Falconpaw looked at Silentpaw who was lashing his tail with excitement. "I don't know about you," Falconpaw meowed with a yawn, "but I think I'm going to take up Savageclaws on that offer."

Without another word, Falconpaw dragged his still weary self back into the apprentice den, plopped himself down onto a pile of moss, and drifted off as he breathed in the comfortingly familiar scents around him.

***

The next thing the young tom knew, he was being shaken awake be an animated looking Silentpaw. "Wh—" Falconpaw sprang out of his nest of moss.

"Gathering," was all Silentpaw needed to say.

The pair nearly sprinted out of the den into the center of the clearing where everyone was congregating. The entire clan was there, regardless of whether or not they were going. Well, with the exception of Nightfall and Goldenpetals. The black pelted warrior was in no condition to go anywhere and the medicine cat was needed by her.

As they walked under the now overcast sky, Rainstar sat surveying the group. Savageclaws, Brownvole, and Riverfawn were gathered in a group, talking amongst themselves. Rosemist and Braveoak were off to the side, the pale ginger she-cat entwined her tail with his, looking almost shy. The two apprentices quickly padded over to where they spotted Darkpaw and Risingpaw.

At first the brother and sister looked annoyed at the addition to their group; clearly they felt sorely about not getting to go. However, they soon brushed this aside and discussed the exciting topic of the day.

The camp was buzzing with energy, but there was a subtle undercurrent of uneasiness. They hadn't been on very good terms with WildClan the past few seasons. Still, a gathering was always an event that no one wanted to miss, or miss a single passed along detail of.

"Are we going to leave soon?" asked Falconpaw, receiving an envious look from Darkpaw. Rainstar's rallying yowl answered his question.

"We're leaving now," the black striped gray tom announced and, after receiving a parting lick on his cheek from Silvercrescent, led the way out of the clearing.

They were on their way to what would undoubtedly be one of the most important gatherings for seasons.


	8. Chapter 7: In the Shadows of the Willow

IN THE SHADOWS OF THE WILLOW

The cats had reached the section of the stream near the Cave of Echoes. Its melancholy, dark shape matched the cloudy sky. Falconpaw looked at the smoothly flowing stream, noticing how it branched off into two sections farther up and joined up again farther down, beyond the cave. This created a sort of island of considerable size. His observations went no farther as his attention was taken by who was turning to face the company of cats.

Rainstar's gray eyes made contact with those of every cat in the group—his deputy, two warriors, and lastly, the two apprentices. The piercing gray gaze held Falconpaw's for a moment, seeming to measure him. The leopard spotted apprentice hoped the leader saw what he was looking for. He supposed he had because in an instant it ended and his leader, with a decisive nod and a flick of his tail, signaled the cats to cross the stream to the island.

Falconpaw's paws sunk into the muddy bank as he began crossing. The water was freezing cold to everyone's distaste, but it was shallow here so there was little danger. Nonetheless, Falconpaw felt his pelt prickle at the memory of half recollected dreams. He shook the foreboding feeling away and splashed his way across quickly, following Savageclaws' large gray figure while trying not to lose his footing on the slippery rocks beneath him.

Falconpaw slowed and stopped with the rest of the cats at the fringe of a circle of small trees. Looking past their trunks, he peered into the ring and saw a lone willow tree with its bare branches stooping towards the ground. Scores of claw marks were etched into its rough looking bark. Rosemist dropped the prey she brought behind a tree and padded towards Falconpaw, touching the tip of her tail to his shoulder. He glanced at her. She put her tail over his mouth, signaling him to be quiet, and motioned him away from the trees.

For all of Savageclaws' explaining that morning, Falconpaw still felt terribly ignorant about the specifics of the gathering. What exactly were they going to do? He stopped trying to puzzle it out as a yowl directly across from the throng of trees announced that WildClan had arrived.

A traveling wind blew towards DarkClan and as Falconpaw scented the air, he recognized the sharp, distinct smell. It reminded him of some sort of plant, but it wasn't one he came across often. Rainstar let out an answering yowl, making the apprentice perk his ears and give an involuntary shiver of excitement. The young tom watched with wide, alert eyes as his leader advanced towards the circle of trees. His own paws began carrying him in that direction too. However, Savageclaws, with a barring tail and warning look, told him that it was not his time to enter yet. Falconpaw sat down next to Silentpaw, noting how anxious the ginger pelted tom looked, observed the scene playing out before him.

The darkly striped tom padded past the screen of trees. He was just past his prime days as a warrior, but hard muscle still rippled under his tabby coat, a strong image of leadership. From the opposite side of the enclosure, a sleek tortoiseshell she-cat stole into view with short swift steps. Falconpaw's breath caught, _Morningstar! _It was the same cat that he'd encountered on the hunting patrol. Her eyes still flamed with a proud, angry passion as she looked at Rainstar and then towards DarkClan.

"Greetings Morningstar," meowed Rainstar, nodding his head respectfully.

"Greetings Rainstar," the arresting she-cat replied with a tone of distant and a stiff nod. Falconpaw thought her manner seemed forcedly civil.

"Will you take the oath first, after the custom of your own clan?" the black striped tom invited.

"Yes," she replied, and strode towards the weeping willow in the center of the clearing, her partially unsheathed claws sticking to the ground slightly.

After gazing at the tree a moment, as if studying the dozens upon dozens of scratches on its ancient bark, she raised her own unsheathed claws and meowed loud enough for all present to hear. "Upon my heart and life, we will shed no blood today. I speak for all of WildClan." With that, she swiped at the willow, leaving a fresh score.

Rainstar padded up next to her and raised his claws in the same manner. "I vow to my ancestors, no blood will be shed today. I speak for all of DarkClan," his solemn statement was emphasized by the deep gouges he carved into the trees bark.

"Now you can go," Rosemist murmured into Falconpaws ear, obviously with some amusement.

The tom gave his adopted mother's ear a quick lick, glad someone was giving him instructions. He padded beside Silentpaw down to the center of the clearing, warily eying the cats he saw streaming down the other side. It looked like there were about five cats from WildClan that joined them in addition to Morningstar. A sort of relief flooded through Falconpaw, they weren't outnumbered.

The cats settled down in front of the leaders who had each taken seat on a bough of the willow. Falconpaw found himself sitting next to a she-cat who looked much too young to be a warrior. _Another apprentice!_ The tom was pleased to discover that the young she-cat did not act with such suppressed passion as her leader did. The nod of greeting she gave him was even more on the friendly side of polite, though he knew that if the clans were to turn claws on each other, he would not receive such a cordial greeting.

Before the conversations between old acquaintances could grow louder than murmurs of quiet greetings, Morningstar's loud meow hushed them instantly.

"There is a matter of great importance that I need to address before we go into the general, trivial matters of our clan's lives," she said, shooting a glance at Rainstar that dared him to challenge her. He merely looked peaceably on, and nodded his head for her to continue.

"This leaf-bare has been harsh and I dema—" she cut of and reworded, "and I _request _permission to hunt in the Streamfall Woodland."

_Streamfall Woodland_, Falconpaw thought as he searched his memory. Ah yes! That was the evergreen forest farther down the stream. He remembered the small system of waterfalls and mild rapids Savageclaws had shown him there; though that forest now belonged to neither clan, as both were too small to support to support such extensive territory, either clan, with the acknowledgement of the other clan, could use it for hunting when prey in their own territory was scarce.

"You may certainly hunt there," was Rainstar's prompt reply. He seemed willfully easy tempered in the face of the tension between the leaders.

_Why would Rainstar let that badger tempered—_, and then it clicked. If Rainstar said no, what would stop Morningstar from refusing their own request when the time came that DarkClan found prey a little scarcer? _I guess it only makes sense,_ he decided, unconscious of the real weight the decision held.

Morningstar looked as if she had expected no other answer.

"Now," Rainstar said, "I hope we can get on with clan news now and handle negotiations at their proper times."

Morningstar nodded and, at Rainstar's invitation, spoke first.

Falconpaw was surprised to hear of the birth of two new kits from WildClan— leaf-bare was certainly an odd time for that to happen, and wondered how they'd fare in the harsh conditions. "We are also proud to present our newest apprentice," the she-cat said, a slight haughtiness creeping into her tone, "Cloverpaw." The light brown and white cat beside Falconpaw lifted up her chin at her mention. "Other than that, the clan is as it always has been, with the exception of the rough leaf-bare."

"That is wonderful," Rainstar said with a nod of his head, being much more gracious that the ill-tempered she-cat deserved, "we, too, have new apprentices." A flicker of annoyance sparked in Morningstar's eyes. "They are Darkpaw, Silentpaw, Risingpaw, and Falconpaw."

In less than a heartbeat, her eyes narrowed angrily and her tail lashed in frustration as the shadow of a growl passed through her throat; Morningstar's nearly spasmodic reaction to the news of DarkCl;an's four new apprentices took Falconpaw by surprise. In another instant, the leader had managed to compose herself somewhat more respectfully and listened to the rest of Rainstar's update.

By the time Rainstar had summed up the rest of DarkClan's essentially uneventful past moon, Falconpaw was itching to stand up and stretch. "What do we do now?" he whispered to Silentpaw after the two leaders had dismounted the willow, searching around for his mentor amongst the throng of cats. His gaze was satisfied as he spotted the large tom speaking to a brown and white she-cat who looked severely uncomfortable. After a moment, Falconpaw saw her give Savageclaws an angry glare and shake her head.

Obvious relief flooded her face as she walked away from the gray warrior, but the apprentice's attention was taken by a red WilClan cat who, to Falconpaw's surprise, was walking straight towards him. What could he have to say to him? However, he realized that the WildClan apprentice standing beside him was his real destination.

"Come now Cloverpaw, it is time for the Sharing," Falconpaw heard him meow to the young she-cat. _The Sharing?_ He wondered, curiosity building up inside of him. _What's that?_

***

Falconpaw sank his teeth into the mouse in front of him, looking at the pretty she-cat grooming her white pelt with its sandy spots. "You're lucky to have Redhawk as a mentor," he said, sending the ginger tom by the rest of the warriors and admiring glance, "that story he told about the badger and everything…" The leopard spotted apprentice trailed off, recalling the account Redhawk had given about how he'd been chased by a badger and managed to lead him to the roughest part of the stream where the vicious animal had met its demise.

"Yeah," she agreed, her blue-green eyes shining proudly, "but Savageclaws looks pretty fearsome himself," she admitted with a wary glance in the tom's direction.

Cloverpaw tucked into her thrush with relish and Falconpaw's mind went back to the Sharing. It was buzzing with small little hunting tips and stories of the comical incidences and impressive feats of both clans. Even Rainstar had pitched in a few tales about his apprentice days. It was hard to imagine him ever being a small tom stuck in a tree because he'd climbed in after a squirrel he'd tried to catch to impress a she-cat. Falconpaw's whiskers twitched with amusement as he tried to envision it again. No, it still was an impossible image to conjure.

However, the rigid way Morningstar had held herself the entire time, as if about to go into a defensive crouch at any moment, had prevented anyone from feeling too comfortable. Savageclaws had glared at her a moment before turning to Falconpaw and telling him how much better the Sharings had been before so much hostility had erupted between the clans.

"Ouch!" Silentpaw cried in surprise as a small bone from Cloverpaw's fresh-kill hit him square in the nose.

"Sorry!" Cloverpaw meowed to the pale ginger tom.

Silentpaw merely nodded his head in acceptance of her apology as he went back to his vole. Even, the nice-looking WildClan apprentice couldn't get more than a word or two out of the quiet tom.

"Hey!" the she-cat meowed as Falconpaw flicked a small mouse bone at her.

"What?" he asked innocently as he met her gaze.

"Well, if that's how you want to play it," she said, a teasing glint in her eyes as she crouched down to pounce.

There would-have-been-play-fight was interrupted by Morningstar's yowl from the ancient willow as the sky began to embrace darker shades of blue. "It is time for the Negotiations."


End file.
